Radio receiver having a hard disk drive

ABSTRACT

A radio receiver for use in a vehicle, the radio receiver including a hard-disk drive having a hard disk, on which data can be stored in a non-volatile manner on storage locations of the hard disk, and a write-read memory so that data stored on the hard disk can be transferred into the write-read memory and can be displayed on a display device.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a radio (broadcast) receiver.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

These are car radios, designed as radio receivers, are already knownwhich can be combined with a navigation computer. This is the case, forexample, with the Blaupunkt car radio “Berlin RCM303-A”. In that case,the navigation computer includes a CD-ROM disk drive. By inserting aCD-ROM into the CD-ROM disk drive, maps in the form of navigation datacan thus be loaded from the CD-ROM into the navigation computer.

European Patent 0 453 108 describes a disk player for an audio disk anda memory disk which can be installed as a navigation system in avehicle. The navigation system includes a so-called CD-ROM, upon whichmap data are stored. This system reads map data of the desired map fromthe CD-ROM and supplies the data as a display information signal to adisplay device. This results in a display of the map on the displaydevice, so that a user is able to determine the present position of thevehicle. Since the CD-ROM as a medium for storing map data has the samesignal format as a compact disk, both an audio disk and a CD-ROM can beplayed by the disk player.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In contrast, the radio receiver of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention has the advantage that, by installing a hard disk,data can be stored in a non-volatile manner on storage locations of thehard disk. Thus, it is believed that it is not necessary to supply suchdata to the radio receiver with the aid of external storage media suchas storage disks constructed as CD-ROM's, thus considerably increasingthe ease of control for the user. In addition, traffic safety may beincreased, since the user is not distracted from traffic by inserting anexternal storage medium into the radio receiver. Furthermore, no inputcompartment for an external storage medium is necessary on the operatingfront of the radio receiver, so that space is saved on this operatingfront and functional clarity for the user is increased. Anotheradvantage is that such a hard disk represents an inexpensivenon-volatile mass storage with write and erase capability for anypresent and even future applications and supplementary services withcorresponding storage requirement.

A further advantage is that a drive for a disk-shaped optical recordingmedium is provided, and that storage locations on the hard disk can beoverwritten with data from a storage disk inserted into the drive. Thus,data stored on the hard disk can be updated in a particularly simplemanner with the aid of data saved on a storage disk inserted into thedrive. In addition, the drive can also be used for accommodating audioor video disks provided for playback, thus increasing the functionalityof the drive. Naturally, this assumes appropriate data-processing andplayback devices in the radio receiver.

It is also advantageous that, because of the hard disk disposed in theradio receiver, it is not necessary to reload data during the operationof the radio receiver or when playing an audio or video disk in thedrive, since a storage disk does not have to be inserted into the drivefor this purpose. The insertion of a storage disk is used here only forupdating the data stored on the hard disk, so that an access of theradio receiver to data of the storage disk is otherwise not necessaryfor special applications and supplementary services. Thus, given theconstruction of the radio receiver as a car radio, it is also notnecessary to remove an audio or video disk from the drive in order toinsert into the drive a storage disk as a database for specialapplications or supplementary services except for updating the databaseon the hard disk, so that the driver is also not distracted fromtraffic. Likewise, it is not necessary to provide a second drive for thestorage disk on the radio receiver, thus saving space and increasing thefunctional clarity of the radio-receiver operating panel.

These are a number of measures by which storage locations on the harddisk can be overwritten or updated. In this context, data received viaradio broadcasting, via an infrared interface, via a wire-conductedinterface, via a card interface having a card reader and an inputcompartment for an access-authorization card, via a microwave receiverand/or a mobile telephone interface for a mobile telephone connected toor integrated into the radio receiver, can be stored on the hard disk.This permits automatic, continuous optimization and updating of thedatabase stored on the hard disk which requires no operator control onthe part of the user and represents considerably increased ease ofcontrol for the user.

A further advantage is that a navigation device is provided, and thatnavigation data can be stored on storage locations of the hard disk.Thus, it is not necessary to reload navigation data from a storage disk,which makes it possible to dispense with a separate drive for such astorage disk, or in the case of co-application of a drive for audio orvideo disks, it is not necessary to interrupt the playing of an insertedaudio or video disk in order to reload navigation data from a storagedisk.

Another advantage is that additional information data, particularlyweather data, schedule data and telephone-directory data, can be storedon storage locations of the hard disk. In this manner, the hard disk canbe used for storing different types of data for various applications andsupplementary services, so that the functionality of the hard disk isincreased.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The FIGURE shows a block diagram of a radio receiver according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the FIGURE a radio receiver 1 is constructed as a car radio(automotive sound system). Car radio 1 includes a disk drive 20 for adisk-shaped optical recording medium which can be constructed as anaudio disk, a video disk or as a storage disk. For example, an audiodisk can be a compact disk, a video disk can be a digital video disk,and the storage disk can be a CD-ROM. Car radio 1 also includes abroadcast receiving arrangement, device or part 60, a microwave receiver40, an infrared interface 25 designed as an infrared receiver, awire-conducted interface 30, a card interface 35 having a card readerand an input compartment for an access-authorization card, and a mobiletelephone interface 45 for a mobile telephone connected to or integratedinto car radio 1. Disk drive 20, broadcast receiving part 60, microwavereceiver 40, infrared receiver 25, wire-conducted interface 30, cardinterface 35 and mobile telephone interface 45 are connectible via achangeover switch 65 to a hard-disk drive 5 in which a hard disk isdisposed. In addition, disk drive 20 and broadcast receiving part 60 areconnectible via a switch 70 to an audio amplifier 75 which is connectedto a loudspeaker 80. A monitor necessary for the video playback of avideo disk inserted into disk drive 20 is not shown in the FIGURE. Carradio 1 also includes a write-read memory 10 that is connected tohard-disk drive 5 and linked to a display device 15. Car radio 1 furtherincludes a navigation device 50 which is likewise connected towrite-read memory 10. Changeover switch 65, switch 70, hard-disk drive5, navigation device 50, write-read memory 10 and display device 15 arecontrolled by a control device 55.

For example, before delivering car radio 1 to the user, a firstinitialization of the hard disk in hard-disk drive 5 is carried out withthe aid of a CD-ROM containing navigation data that is inserted intodisk drive 20. To that end, control device 55 causes changeover switch65 to connect disk drive 20 to hard-disk drive 5. The navigation datacan then be copied from the CD-ROM onto the hard disk located inhard-disk drive 5. In this context, the hard disk represents apermanently installed non-volatile mass storage with write and erasecapability, e.g., an optical-magnetic storage, a purely optical storage,a purely magnetic storage, an electronic storage or the like.

Using an input command to an input unit (not shown in the FIGURE), theuser of car radio 1 can cause control device 55 to load navigation datafrom the hard disk into write-read memory 10 and, with the aid ofnavigation device 50, to create a piece of navigation information,displayable on display device 15, from the navigation data in write-readmemory 10; this piece of navigation information can then be brought todisplay, induced by control device 55, on display device 15. At the sametime, likewise as a function of a user input to the input unit not shownin the FIGURE, audio data from broadcast receiving part 60 or from anaudio or video disk located in disk drive 20 can be routed via switch 70to audio amplifier 75 for playback via loudspeaker 80. Switch 70 thenconnects the audio-signal source, which is selected accordingly by theuser at the input unit not shown in the FIGURE, to audio amplifier 75.Thus, audio data can be played back by loudspeaker 80 and navigationdata can be displayed on display device 15 simultaneously. Thenavigation database on the hard disk in hard-disk drive 5 can be updatedin various ways. On one hand, it can be carried out with the aid of aCD-ROM having updated navigation data that is inserted into disk drive20. However, for that purpose, an audio or video disk located in diskdrive 20 must be removed, making it necessary to interrupt an acousticplayback being carried out at the moment if disk drive 20 is in factconnected via switch 70 to audio amplifier 75. However, if broadcastreceiving part 60 is connected at the moment via switch 70 to audioamplifier 75, then it is not necessary to interrupt an acousticreproduction of the broadcast reception when reloading navigation datafrom a CD-ROM in disk drive 20.

However, the navigation database on the hard disk in hard-disk drive 5can also be updated automatically, i.e., without using a storage diskand thus without an operator action on the part of the user. In theevent that broadcast receiving part 60 is designed for the reception ofdigital data via digital radio broadcasting, i.e., via DAB (digitalaudio broadcast), updated navigation data can also be transmitteddigitally via radio broadcasting and received by broadcast receivingpart 60. By connecting broadcast receiving part 60 to hard-disk drive 5via changeover switch 65 that is appropriately controlled by controldevice 55, the navigation data received via radio broadcasting can thenbe stored on storage locations of the hard disk, thus updating thenavigation database on the hard disk. Radio reception of navigation datafor updating the navigation database on the hard disk is also possible,for example, via the radio data system RDS in a special channel, e.g.,the traffic message channel (TMC). However, navigation data can also betransmitted in any other manner, digital or analog, to broadcastreceiving part 60, it being necessary to carry out an analog-digitalconversion of the transmitted navigation data in the case of an analogtransmission before routing the navigation data to the hard disk inhard-disk drive 5.

Updating navigation data via radio broadcasting has the advantage that alarge-area data distribution is possible to many receivers at the sametime.

Another possibility for automatically updating the navigation databaseon the hard disk can be effected via infrared receiver 25. Using apersonal computer or laptop having an infrared interface constructed asan infrared transmitter, the navigation database on the hard disk can beupdated by remote control, e.g., when servicing the vehicle or by theuser him/herself, it being necessary for this case that infraredreceiver 25 be connected by control device 55 via changeover switch 65to hard-disk drive 5.

Navigation data are then transmitted from the personal computer orlaptop having the infrared transmitter, via infrared receiver 25, to thehard disk in hard-disk drive 5, and are stored there on storagelocations.

A further possibility for updating the navigation database on the harddisk is to connect a computer such as a personal computer or a laptop towire-conducted interface 30, and from there to transmit navigation datavia wire-conducted interface 30 to the hard disk in hard-disk drive 5and to store it there. For that purpose, wire-conducted interface 30must be connected by control device 55 via changeover switch 65 tohard-disk drive 5. The navigation data is then transmitted from theconnected computer via wire-conducted interface 30 to the hard disk andis stored there on storage locations. For example, this can likewise bedone when servicing the vehicle or by the user him/herself.

Another possibility for updating the navigation database on the harddisk is to transmit navigation data to the hard disk via card interface35 and changeover switch 65 that is appropriately adjusted by controldevice 55. To that end, an access-authorization card for car radio 1 canbe loaded at a computer, e.g., a personal computer or a laptop having aninput compartment and a card reader, with navigation data from thecomputer. The access-authorization card is subsequently inserted by theuser or by a person servicing the vehicle into the card-inputcompartment of car radio 1 and is read by the card reader of car radio1. The navigation data is then transferred to the hard disk in hard-diskdrive 5 and is stored there on storage locations.

A further possibility for updating the navigation database on the harddisk in hard-disk drive 5 can also be carried out such that changeoverswitch 65, induced by control device 55, connects microwave receiver 40to hard-disk drive 5, so that navigation data, emitted and transmitted,for example, from special transmitting installations at city entrancesvia so-called short range communication such as DSRC (dedicated shortrange communication), are transferred from microwave receiver 40 to thehard disk and are stored there on storage locations.

Another possibility for updating the navigation database on the harddisk is that control device 55 connects mobile telephone interface 45 tohard-disk drive 5 via changeover switch 65, so that navigation datatransmitted via a telephone network to the mobile telephone integratedinto or connected to car radio 1 can be routed to the hard disk inhard-disk drive 5 and stored there on storage locations.

Apart from the updating of the navigation database on the hard disk,initialization of the navigation database, i.e., a first initializationof the navigation database on the hard disk, can also be carried out viabroadcast receiving part 60, microwave receiver 40, infrared receiver25, wire-conducted interface 30, card interface 35 and mobile telephoneinterface 45 in the manner described above. The difference with respectto the updating then lies merely in the fact that the storage content ofthe hard disk is undefined at the time of the first initialization.

By the cyclic successive connection of individual interfaces 20, 25, 30,35, 40, 45, 60 to hard-disk drive 5 for updating or initializing thenavigation database, control device 55 can ensure that the most currentnavigation data are always stored on the hard disk, regardless of thetransmission path of the navigation data, so that continuousoptimization or updating of the navigation database on the hard disk ispossible and navigation is always carried out using current data.

In this manner, an up-to-date navigation database is always available ina non-volatile manner in car radio 1.

Non-volatile data storage on the hard disk can also be utilized forother purposes in which preferably larger amounts of data must bestored, e.g., for additional information data such as weather data,schedule data, telephone-directory data, video data and the like.

The installation of the hard disk and hard-disk drive 5 makes disk drive20 usable exclusively for audio or video playback when driving,accompanied by simultaneous navigation. A change of the audio or videodisk to update the navigation database on the hard disk with theassistance of a storage disk constructed, for example, as a CD-ROM, indisk drive 20 is not necessary.

In this context, the additional information data is stored orinitialized and updated on storage locations of the hard disk in thesame manner as the navigation data. Thus, an up-to-date database isalways available on the hard disk for the navigation and additionalinformation.

The additional information data is likewise loaded, as a function of aninput command input by the user at the input unit (not shown in theFIGURE), by control device 55 from the hard disk into write-read memory10 for display on display device 15, this displaying likewise beingcaused by control device 55. Moreover, this input unit can includeoperating control elements, for example, in order to call for additionalinformation data or navigation information.

Due to the hard disk, an economical, non-volatile mass storage havingwrite and erase capability is available for present and futureapplications and supplementary services.

What is claimed is:
 1. A radio receiver for use in a vehicle, the radioreceiver comprising: a hard-disk drive having a hard disk, the hard diskhaving storage locations that are non-volatile for storing data, thehard-disk drive being integrated into the radio receiver; a write-readmemory for storing the data that is transferred from the hard disk intothe write-read memory; a wireless receiver configured to wirelesslyreceive updated navigation data, the received updated navigation databeing stored in the storage locations of the hard-disk drive; anavigation device configured to provide navigation information based onthe updated navigation data stored on the hard-disk; and a displaydevice for displaying at least a part of the data that is transferredfrom the hard disk into the write-read memory, the navigation devicefurther configured to display the navigation information on the displaydevice.
 2. The radio receiver of claim 1, further comprising: a diskdrive for use with a storage disk having an optical recording medium andbeing insertable into the disk drive; and means for overwriting thestorage locations of the hard disk with another data from the storagedisk, the storage disk being inserted in the disk drive.
 3. The radioreceiver of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is a broadcastreceiving arrangement.
 4. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein thewireless receiver includes an infrared interface, the wireless receiverconfigured to receive the updated navigation data via the infraredinterface.
 5. The radio receiver of claim 1, further comprising: atleast one of a wire-conducted interface and a connected computer; andmeans for overwriting the storage locations of the hard disk withanother data received via the at least one of the wire-conductedinterface and the connected computer.
 6. The radio receiver of claim 1,further comprising: a card interface having a card reader and an inputcompartment for use with an access-authorization card; and means foroverwriting the storage locations of the hard disk with another datareceived via the card reader from the access-authorization card, theaccess-authorization card being inserted in the input compartment. 7.The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein the wireless receiver is amicrowave receiver.
 8. The radio receiver of claim 1, wherein thewireless receiver includes a mobile telephone interface for a mobiletelephone, the navigation data being received via the mobile telephoneinterface.
 9. The radio receiver of claim 1, further comprising acontrol device for loading information data stored at the storagelocations of the hard disk the write-read memory for display on thedisplay device, wherein the information data include at least one ofweather data, schedule data and telephone-directory data.
 10. The radioreceiver of claim 1, further comprising: an input unit for receiving aninput command; and a control device for loading at least a part of thedata from the storage locations of the hard disk into the write-readmemory as a function of the input command and for causing a display onthe display device as a function of the at least part of the data.